utexas.edu College of Natural Sciences
Department of Astronomy
Search the site

Caroline Morley

  • Associate Professor
  • Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy
  • Astronomy
Profile image of Caroline Morley
cmorley@utexas.edu
PMA
15.310A
Website

Biography

Dr. Morley studies the atmospheres of exoplanets from terrestrial planets like the Earth to giant planets more massive than Jupiter. She earned Bachelor's degrees in Physics and Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences from MIT in 2010, and her Ph.D. from University of California Santa Cruz in 2016. She's been at UT since 2018. 


 

Research

Dr. Morley's research includes: Atmospheres of extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs from Earths to super-Jupiters. Planet characterization using transmission spectroscopy, secondary eclipse spectroscopy, and direct-imaging. Brown dwarf characterization. Clouds in all substellar environments.

Research Areas

  • Cosmology or Space

Fields of Interest

  • Planetary Systems

Centers and Institutes

  • Center for Planetary Systems Habitability

Education

  • 2016—PhD, Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • 2012—M.S., Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • 2010—B.S., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • 2010- B.S., Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Publications

Awards

  • 2022, PI, HST Cycle 30 Teory Grant, amount TBA
  • 2021, co-I, 11 approved JWST programs
  • 2021, PI, NASA ADAP Grant, total award: $491,097
  • 2021, Sloan Fellowship, $75,000
  • 2020, AAS Annie Jump Cannon award.
  • 2020, PI, NASA FINESST student grant, total award to UT Austin: $145,000
  • 2019, PI, NASA XRP Grant, total award to UT Austin: $541,620
  • 2019, PI, HST Cycle 27 Teory Grant, total award to UT Austin: $91,339
  • 2019, PI, NSF AAG Grant, total award to UT Austin: $345,403
  • 2017, IAU PhD Tesis Prize
  • 2016, NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2016, Institute for Teory and Computation Postdoctoral Fellowship, CfA
  • 2016, NASA Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship, declined
  • 2016, Miller Fellowship, Berkeley, declined
  • 2016, Porat Fellowship, Stanford, declined
  • 2016, O.K. Earl Fellowship, Caltech, declined
  • 2015, Chancellor’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, UC Santa Cruz
  • 2015, Pierazzo International Student Travel Award
  • 2014, HST Cycle 22 Teory Grant
  • 2014, ARCS Foundation Fellowship, UC Santa Cruz
  • 2014, Excellence in Mentoring, UC Santa Cruz, Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • 2012, Donald and Irene Osterbrock Prize, UC Santa Cruz, Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • 2011, Harriet G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship, NASA/UNCFSP
  • 2011, Excellence in Teaching Award, UC Santa Cruz, Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • 2011, National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention